Despite the toll on kids and parents, a delayed return to school in BC has advantages. Even if it takes a couple of weeks to get things right, it could be the right thing to do. Here's my non-expert thinking. #bcpoli #bced

First, careful implementation of plans would be impossible by Sep 8. The first week(s) would have been a gong show because the tight timelines would necessitate improvisation on the fly, at every school. Better to get things right before opening the doors / floodgates.

No, I don't think June was enough to teach schools, kids, and families how to do this safely. Too few kids went back. And the focus then was on cleaning / hand hygiene not masks / respiratory hygiene.

The second main advantage of a delayed start relates to the long weekend. Purposefully *not* re-entering right after Labour Day enables the detection of inevitable long-weekend COVID spikes. Contact tracing, and isolating those at risk *before* they enter classrooms.

The third system-level advantage is that BC will gain insights from other jurisdictions as it works toward an appropriately cautious implementation. We can and should learn from across Canada, the US, and Europe - - anywhere that kids are returning en masse now and in early Sept.

Finally, I say this having been the primary carer for my 9yo daughters since March. I desperately want them back in school. But I'll gladly care for them for a couple extra weeks if it means returning is safer for them, their teachers, and all associated families.

[End] Let's face it, if we botch this up in September, we're back homeschooling our kids by October anyway.